It is known that in countries with a high level of technology, the growing number of motor vehicles has made traffic problems extremely important, requiring local administrations to impose limits on the circulation and parking of vehicles in urban areas.
These problems are particularly evident in town centres and in areas with a high density of traffic, making it necessary to introduce structured systems to regulate access and to control parking, generally based on the allocation of limited traffic zones and/or on tariff and selective authorization mechanisms (long-term access and parking permits for residents, limited permits for registered users, “time” tariffs for occasional users, etc.).
Receiver-transmitter devices for the automatic detection of the presence or transit of vehicles have already been proposed and consolidated technologies already exist on the market, albeit presenting some problems.
The power of the signals must, in fact, be very low to prevent the system from being too complex, to limit the costs and to restrict electromagnetic pollution to negligible levels, taking into account the considerable presence of the devices in highly frequented areas.
A further problem is represented by the fact that the devices currently used do not guarantee a high degree of efficiency, presenting a considerable number of errors and cases of malfunctioning.
The detection and management means of these systems also require a considerable use of human resources, particularly for the material operations of monitoring the areas in which access or parking are managed selectively.
Another drawback is represented by the fact that the efficacy of the means used is encumbered by limits and interruptions that are difficult to avoid.